Migraine

Definition of Migraine:
Not just a headache, but a disorder affecting the whole body.  Clearly defined attacks last about 4-72 hours and progress through 5 distinct phases.  Prodrome: starting up to 24 hours before the headache, about 50% of sufferers experience changes in mood, sensory perception, food craving, excessive yawning, or speech or memory problems.  Aura: starting within an hour before the headache, about 15% experience disruption of vision (flashing lights, shimmering zigzag lines, blind spot) or sensation (numbness or 'pins and needles' around the lips or hand), or difficulty speaking.  Headache: usually pulsating and on one side of the head, it may occur on both sides and alternate from side to side.  Neck and scalp muscles may be tender; there may be nausea and the desire not to eat, move, see or hear.  Resolution: the body returns to normal over several hours during sleep or rest; an intense emotional experience or vomiting may also end the headache.  Postdrome: the sufferer feels drained, fatigued and tired afterwards.  Muscles ache, emotions are volatile and thinking is slow.
Also: Migraine Headache, Migraine Headaches, Migraines

Topics Related to Migraine

(Prescription) Drug Side-Effects
Our Question about Feeling cold for no reason
“Certain medications -- such as those prescribed for hypertension, angina, or migraine -- can cause feelings of being cold because beta blockers may reduce the circulation in the extremities while increasing blood circulation to the heart...”
Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Avoidance
As A Treatment
“...Why it is Recommended: Adverse effects reported from short-term and/or long-term use of Aspartame include: Seizures and convulsions, dizziness, tremors, migraines and severe headaches (triggered or caused by chronic intake), memory loss (common toxicity effect), slurring of speech, confusion, numbness or tingling of extremities, chronic fatigue,...”
Biofeedback
As A Treatment
“...Biofeedback is an effective therapy for many conditions, but it is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, tension headache, migraine headache, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence...”

More topics Related to Migraine

Birth Control Pill Issues
The Condition
“...These contraceptive-related risks may be even greater among those patients with a history of migraines...”
Cluster Headaches
The Condition
“...In both cluster and migraine headaches blood vessels dilate, but in cluster headaches only the blood vessels behind the eyes pulsate...” “Several studies have found that sufferers of cluster and migraine headaches tend to have subnormal levels of total testosterone, DHEA sulfate, and pregnenolone...” “Several studies have found that sufferers of cluster and migraine headaches tend to have subnormal levels of total testosterone, DHEA sulfate, and pregnenolone...”
Recommendation Testosterone
“Some research suggests that testosterone therapy may help alleviate the pain of migraine and cluster headaches...”
Recommendation Hyperbaric Oxygen
“Hyperbaric oxygen is said to help cluster migraines...” “...Both migraine and cluster headaches are associated with heavy caffeine intake, and caffeine withdrawal can cause a headache resembling a migraine...”
Dehydration
The Condition
“...day? Signs and Symptoms: Pain may be a warning of localized thirst; that is, the pain signal may be a warning of dehydration in that specific area (a regional thirst), for example low back pain, migraine headache, joint pain, and angina...”
Dizziness
The Condition
“...Aside from those mentioned below, here are other possible causes of dizziness ... Headaches, migraines...”
Environmental Illness / MCS
The Condition
“...Most sufferers of MCS complain of at least several of the following ... headache / migraine...”
Excess Sugar Consumption
The Condition
“...Signs and Symptoms: When the body undergoes a sugar overload, a number of symptoms can manifest themselves, including: Anxiety; Congestion; Frequent colds; Migraines; Asthma; Constipation; Headaches; Sinus congestion; Backaches; Depression; Hypoglycemia; Skin itch; Bladder/bowel dysfunction; Diarrhea; Hypothyroidism; Sleepiness; Bloating; Dizziness;...”
Feverfew
As A Treatment
“...There have been positive studies using Feverfew leaves as a prophylactic treatment for migraine headaches, reducing both the severity and frequency of migraines...”
Fish Oils
As A Treatment
“...Fish oil has also been proposed as a treatment for many other conditions, including diabetic neuropathy, allergies, gout, and migraine headaches, but there has been little real scientific investigation of these uses...”
Ginkgo Biloba
As A Treatment
“...Positive clinical effects have been seen with short-term memory, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), vertigo, concentration, slowing the onset of Alzheimer symptoms, intermittant claudication, impotence, migraines, allergies and asthma...”
Headaches
The Condition
“...Effective treatment is available for all types of headache, even migraine...”
Hot Drinks
As A Treatment
“...Coffee should be avoided if you ... Are prone to migraines and headaches...”
Hypoglycemia “...These can narrow the arteries, increase blood pressure, and result in headaches or migraines...”
Lysine
Related Topic
“...Research indicates that lysine may be useful in the treatment of migraine and herpes simplex...”
Magnesium
As A Treatment
“...Gall Stones, Menstrual cramps, High blood pressure, Hyperactivity, Glucose intolerance - diabetes and hypoglycemia, Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Prevention of hearing loss, Kidney stones, Leg cramps, Migraine, Osteoporosis, PMS and Prostate health...”
Meniere's Disease
The Condition
“...Triggers Although the precise cause of Meniere's disease is unknown, there are various known triggers of vertigo: stress, allergies, excess salt intake, caffeine, and migraine headaches and barometric changes in pressure...”
Migraine/Tension Headaches
The Condition
“Headaches are commonly classified under categories such as tension, sinus, migraine, menstrual and cluster among others...” “Up to 25% of women have migraine during their reproductive years, with an average prevalence of 16% (11% without aura and 5% with aura)...” “Vascular or migraine headaches occur in 10% of lupus patients...”
Relationship to Magnesium Requirement
Migraines sufferers often are found to have reduced blood levels of magnesium...”
Relationship to Low Melatonin Level
Migraines sufferers often are found to have reduced blood levels of melatonin...”
Relationship to Mitral Valve Prolapse
“Patients with classic migraine have a two-fold increase in incidence of mitral valve prolapse...” Migraines are more common among women who have very low testosterone levels...”
Recommendation Marijuana
“Marijuana is being used to treat migraines...”
Recommendation Plant-Based Nutrition
“When migraine and tension headache patients are placed on low-protein, natural plant-based diets, with no refined sweets of any type, they often recover within a month...”
Recommendation Essential Fatty Acids
“Omega 3 fatty acids can reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines...”
Recommendation Therapeutic Fasting
“It is believed by those specializing in detoxification that the major cause of both tension headaches and migraines is the retention of toxins or tissue irritants within the central nervous system...” “Food allergy may be a factor in as many as 80% of migraine sufferers...”
Recommendation Magnesium
“Several researchers have provided substantial links between low magnesium levels and both migraine and tension headaches, based on both theory and clinical observations...”
Recommendation Massage
“Researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine found that massage is helpful in alleviating pain in migraine sufferers...” “...When migraine and tension headache patients are placed on low-protein, natural plant-based diets, with no refined sweets of any type, they often recover within a month, never needing medication or further...” “Tyramine-containing foods are responsible for migraines in 15% of sufferers...”
Recommendation Pressure
“Many individuals with migraine can obtain effective relief by simply applying an elastic band around the head, securing it with Velcro, and inserting rubber discs (or any available substitute such as a bottle cap) for...”
Recommendation against High/Increased Protein Diet
“When migraine and tension headache patients are placed on low-protein, natural plant-based diets, with no refined sweets of any type, they often recover within a month...”
Neurologic Testing, Conventional
As A Treatment
“...Conversely, 15% of the population shows mild abnormalities on EEG, representing old head trauma, old strokes, migraine, viral infections, and most of the time for unknown reasons...”
Night Sweats
The Condition
“...Hypothalamic lesions Epilepsy Strokes Cerebral palsy Migraine Spinal cord infarction Head injury Familial dysautomia Anti-nausea medication used during pregnancy Antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication Birth control pills Unfortunately, sometimes there...”
Osteoporosis - Osteopenia
The Condition
“...Women for whom HRT might not be suitable include those with a history of thrombosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, migraine, a history of breast cancer or breast cancer in close family, and heavy smokers...”
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The Condition
“...Physical ... Frequent headaches or migraines...”
Rosacea
The Condition
“...Flushing is prevalent, and migraine headaches are three times more common amongst sufferers...” “The incidence of migraine headaches and flushing accompanying rosacea points to some form of food intolerance...”
TMJ Problems
The Condition
“...This combination of process can lead to the development of various kinds of headaches; migraine, tension-type, cluster-type...”
Tryptophan / 5HTP
As A Treatment
“...It is used by the brain to produce serotonin; it is a natural relaxer, helps alleviate insomnia, reduces anxiety and depression and helps treat migraine headaches...”
Tryptophan Need
The Condition
“...It has also been found that people suffering from migraine headaches have abnormal levels of tryptophan, and in this supplementation may be helpful...”
Vasomotor Cephalalgia
Related Topic
Migraine headache...”
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
As A Treatment
“...It stimulates circulation and for this reason may be helpful in treating leg cramps caused by circulatory deficiency; headaches, especially the migraine type; and Meniere's syndrome, associated with hearing loss and vertigo...”
Vitamin B3 Requirement
The Condition
“...Low doses of niacin can relieve migraine headaches...”
Zeolites
As A Treatment
“...allergens in the blood and digestive tract, thus decreasing symptoms from inhaled and swallowed antigens Possibly stopping diarrhea through its absorptive action in the intestines Patients with migraine headaches frequently are aware that certain foods will trigger headache attacks, for example red wine, preserved meats treated with nitrites and nitrates such as sausages, hot dogs, salami,...”
Zinc Requirement
The Condition
“...It has been observed that those suffering with any of the auto-immune diseases (such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis); atopic problems (allergy, eczema, asthma or migraine); or many of the inflammatory diseases (such as osteo-arthritis, ME or irritable bowel syndrome), have a consistent, and often severe, zinc deficiency, which is greatly benefited by a...”